Death toll rises to eight in Barabanki truck-car collision

Barabanki, Nov 4 (IANS) The death toll in the horrific road accident on the Kalyani River bridge on the Deva-Fatehpur Road in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki rose to eight after two injured persons succumbed to their injuries.

Of the eight, six had died on the spot. Two people who were critically injured in the accident died in Lucknow hospital, wiping out an entire jeweller’s family.

According to reports, a speeding truck and an unregistered Ertiga car collided head-on on the Kalyani River bridge late Monday night.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the Ertiga car was completely crushed, causing panic in the area. Passersby immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and sent the injured to the district hospital. Two of them were later referred to the Lucknow Trauma Centre, where they succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased have been identified as driver Shrikant Shukla, Pradeep Soni, his wife Madhuri Soni, and their son Nitin, all residents of Fatehpur town. One of the deceased remains unidentified. The injured have been identified as Naimish, the younger son of Pradeep Soni, and another unidentified person.

All occupants of the car were returning home after taking a holy dip in the Ganga at Bithoor in Kanpur district.

Upon receiving information about the accident, District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi and Superintendent of Police (SP) Arpit Vijayvargiya reached the site and supervised the relief operations. SP Vijayvargiya said that preliminary investigations suggest speeding as the primary cause of the accident.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Awadhesh Kumar Yadav stated that the bodies will be handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck was moving at a very high speed. The driver reportedly lost control upon seeing the oncoming car, resulting in the devastating collision. Police have since impounded the truck.

--IANS

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